For far too long, Dallas has doled out financial help in a piecemeal way, keeping a virtual pot of money at the ready to fund individual, and often isolated, deals. City Hall's new leadership wants to change that, using economic development dollars for projects that also will address deeper issues that afflict neighborhoods, from food deserts to segregated schools.

Just as important, if Dallas focuses those dollars in areas underserved by retail, jobs and housing — examples of which exist all over the city — not only does the work buoy the community but it also grows the overall tax base. Bluntly, it creates a more balanced system in which North Dallas is not funding the majority of the city's needs.

Broadnax and his team say they are committed to meticulous market-value analysis. They liken their process to Amazon's intense HQ2 competition. Just as the Seattle-based behemoth has given municipalities precise specifications for what it's looking for, Dallas City Hall expects to employ the same approach when it comes to developers seeking city dollars.

We support Prop I and hope voters will too.

City of Dallas Proposition J wouldallocate $20 million for permanent, supportive and transitional housing facilities for the homeless. (Estimated repayment: $27.1 million.)

The stories of the chronically homeless, those who often also suffer from mental illness, addiction or both, are painfully familiar. But increasingly, another heartbreaking narrative around homelessness is one of single mothers with children, or senior citizens — two groups too often teetering on the edge of financial insecurity.

These individuals are just a kid's hospital bill or a broken-down car away from finding themselves in a shelter.

But emergency facilities are only a short-term solution. It's critical to get the newly homeless stabilized in transitional homes as quickly as possible. Right now about 200 families or individuals in Dallas have been screened and approved for housing, yet there's no place to put them.

Prop J, which City Hall says is Dallas' first bond aimed specifically at housing for the homeless, would be a small start toward establishing diverse facilities. This newspaper has long advocated for transitional and permanent housing, with appropriate services, as the linchpin to alleviating homelessness.

The bond money would allow the city to rehabilitate properties in its portfolio — or in the hands of its partners — to house individuals who will require help for a long time as well as those who need, say, just up to 18 months of lodging to get back on their feet. The dollars could also be used to purchase facilities.

This housing strategy is part of a bigger effort that Broadnax and the City Council are leading to make sure the homeless get not just 911-type services but those that set them up for long-term success, from workforce readiness to financial literacy.

We likely all know a family just one paycheck away from losing its home. A "yes" vote on Prop J will allow rapid rehousing to become a reality in Dallas.

Ready to vote?

This is a roundup of Dallas Morning News recommendations for the Nov. 7 elections.